Rachel Berry vs Nature
by Gleeks09
Summary: AU: Rachel is 7 and finds herself on a camping trip with her parents and other family members. The promise of a fun time draws her to the campsite, but the realities of life in the wild threaten to shatter that promise. Shelby has always been a part of Rachel's life and she shares custody with Hiram and Leroy. They are raising her together. AU


**Author's note – Here's a new one shot for everyone. Rachel is seven in this one. And please remember that in this world, Shelby has always been a part of Rachel's life and she is raising her together with Hiram and Leroy. I really hope you all like this one. Thanks! **

**Disclaimer – I don't own Glee. **

"Rachel, let's go!"

Hiram turned away from the stairs and looked down at his watch and sighed. He had hoped to be on the road at least half an hour ago. The car was packed and everyone was ready. Except Rachel. And Shelby. Did it have to take women so long to do everything?

Hiram sat down on the couch and looked up as Leroy came into the room just as he was closing his cell phone. He took a seat next to his husband propped his feet up on the coffee table.

"Charlotte said they just left about fifteen minutes ago," Leroy said, speaking of his sister. She and her husband Christopher and their two kids Daniel and Victoria were meeting them there.

"They're going to beat us there," Hiram noted. "Shelby!"

His yell made it up the stairs and Shelby just shook her head. Did they have to be so impatient? They knew she was running late this morning when she left her house and they were just going to have to deal with it. She didn't know how she let them talk her into this in the first place.

Shelby took one final look in her bag and made sure she had everything she needed before closing it up and carrying it from the room. She stopped at Rachel's room and watched in amusement as her seven year old attempted to put as many stuffed animals as possible into one of her pillowcases.

"Whatcha doing, Rach?" Shelby asked as she stepped into the room.

"I need to bring along some of my friends," Rachel said. "They'll be lonely here without me."

"Mr. Mitchell and your bunny are already waiting in the car," Shelby told her. Mr. Mitchell was Rachel's favorite stuffed monkey. "You can't have too many because then there wouldn't be any room for me in the tent." She laughed lightly and sat down on Rachel's bed and gently took the stuffed pillowcase from her.

"Are you sure this is going to be a fun trip?" Rachel asked as she leaned against her mother.

Her fathers had brought up camping a month ago and how much fun they would have, but Rachel wasn't quite sold on it. She knew her cousins would be there and she liked getting to play with them. But did the whole thing have to be outdoors? Rachel was not necessarily a kid who minded getting dirty or playing outside, but three full days in the wilderness seemed like a bit too much for her.

Shelby smiled and lifted Rachel so she could sit on her lap. She wasn't sold on a camping trip either, but she was going to put on a happy face for Rachel. Hiram and Leroy were excited and Shelby couldn't wait to see Charlotte and Christopher and the kids. She still didn't understand why they couldn't go camping at a hotel. That sounded like a lot more fun.

"I think we're going to have fun," Shelby said. "You'll get to play and there's going to be campfires and s'mores and there's a lake to go swimming in. It'll be a fun adventure."

Rachel looked at Shelby skeptically. She wasn't at all sure about the lake. No thank you. She loved swimming in the pool in her fathers' backyard because, as far as she knew, there were no animals of any sort living in the pool. The lake was a whole other story.

"I've never slept in a tent before," Rachel said.

"Me either, sweetheart, so it'll be a new adventure for both of us," Shelby reassured her.

"Ok," Rachel nodded.

"Ok, let's go before we get your fathers even more irritated," Shelby said with a conspiratorial grin.

"We are not irritated," Hiram said from behind them causing both Shelby and Rachel to jump and turn and look at him. "But we are late. So can we please go now?"

"Of course. Why didn't you say so before?" Shelby asked sweetly as she led Rachel from the room.

Rachel giggled and Hiram shook his head and muttered under his breath as they walked down the stairs.

It only took an hour and a half to get to the campground and Rachel was glad to finally be able to get out of the car. An hour and a half could feel like forever. The area was clear enough for the four tents that would be pitched and Leroy's sister and her family was already there. Rachel was the first one out of the car and she raced over to her aunt.

"Aunt Charlotte!" Rachel squealed as she leapt into the woman's arms.

"Hi, baby!" Charlotte greeted her niece with her a big hug as she lifted her up and held her. "Are you excited for the weekend?"

"It's going to be fun," Rachel said. "Or at least that's what everyone keeps saying."

"They're absolutely right," Charlotte said. She put Rachel back down and turned her towards the car and said, "But first everything has to get unloaded and set up. So go and help."

Victoria was standing at the back of the car helping Shelby pull out bags while Daniel helped with the tents. Victoria, at ten, was doing her best to be as grown up as possible. She was tall like both her parents and she absolutely adored Shelby. Hiram, Leroy's, and Shelby's families had all long ago taken all of the adults as their own. Shelby was an aunt to Leroy and Hiram's nieces and nephews and the men were uncles to hers.

At twelve, Daniel just wanted to be one of the guys. He had been a bit dismayed when his other cousins couldn't come on the trip meaning he was left with just two girls. Two younger girls at that. They may as well still be babies. But at least he would get to hang out with his uncles; they were always fun.

"Daddy, are you sure this tent is ok to sleep in?" Rachel asked a little while later when they were getting everything set up.

Leroy looked up from where he had squatted down to secure the tent and smiled. "I'm sure, honey. You and Mommy will be just fine in here."

"But it's on the ground," Rachel said.

"It's got a floor, silly," Leroy said. "It'll be like when you sleep in your sleeping bag on the floor at home."

"But that's at home," Rachel said. "There could be anything out here."

Leroy laughed good-naturedly and pulled Rachel to him. "Nothing is going to get you."

"How do you know?" Rachel asked. She wasn't so sure.

"I've been camping lots of times and nothing has gotten me," Leroy reasoned with her.

"Some animals don't eat boys," Rachel said with a 'duh' tone as if she couldn't believe her father didn't know that.

"Lucky me then," Leroy said with a smile that made Rachel roll her eyes.

"You're gonna feel bad if I get eaten by some giant snake out here," Rachel told him seriously before leaving him to his work.

Leroy just laughed and turned back to his work, but not before catching the eye of his nephew who had been watching the entire thing.

"Girls," Daniel said with disdain as he knelt next to his uncle to help.

"Indeed," Leroy agreed with a smile as they got back to work.

As she was walking away from her dad, Rachel stopped and gathered herself. She'd meant to ask about this a while ago, but got caught up helping unload the car and forgot and now things were a little more urgent. She had been trying to look around and see if she could find what she needed, but she hadn't noticed anything. Well this certainly was going to be a problem.

Rachel made her way over to Shelby and Aunt Charlotte and tried to appear nonchalant as she crossed her legs and bounced a little bit. Both mothers knew immediately what the issue was.

"Mommy," Rachel said to get Shelby's attention. She motioned for her to lean down so she could whisper in her ear, "I've gotta go potty."

"Ok, umm," Shelby turned and looked at Charlotte because she was now realizing the buildings with the showers and restrooms weren't as close to their campsite as she thought.

"We stopped on the way in," Charlotte said. "But the kids usually just go while we're out here so we're not walking down there all the time. The guys will too," she added. "There's an area that's pretty private just down that way."

Shelby and Rachel just stared at her. Rachel wasn't keen on the idea, but she had to go; now. Shelby made up her mind right then and there that she was never going to go out in the woods. She was going to walk down to the main buildings whenever she needed and she would take Rachel with her when she did.

"Rachel, do you want to try and walk down there?" Shelby asked.

"Mama, I gotta go," Rachel said as her dancing became more frantic.

"Ok," Shelby said reluctantly. Peeing in the woods what not something she'd ever really envisioned Rachel doing.

"Come on," Charlotte said with a smirk. Leroy hadn't been kidding when he said that Shelby and Rachel were really unsure of this trip.

Charlotte picked up a roll of toilet paper and led mother and daughter down a path to a secluded area they had designated for this purpose. Rachel saw all of the bushes and plants and looked up at Shelby pleadingly.

"It's ok, sweetheart," Shelby said as looked down at Rachel. "You just have to this once and we'll be sure to have time to walk down to the main buildings from now on."

"Ok," Rachel agreed, though it was more out of necessity than actually wanting to do this.

Rachel moved away some and Charlotte took the hint and turned around after handing the toilet paper to Shelby. Rachel surveyed the area with a cautious eye before reaching for the button on her pants. She was looking for anything she may decide was suspicious such as an animal or something that could get her. Shelby helped Rachel with her pants to make sure they were completely out of the way and waited until the girl was finished. To say Rachel was relieved was an understatement. As she pulled up her pants, Rachel decided right then that this was the last time she was ever peeing in the woods. The boys could have it.

The three of them made their way back to the main campsite and Shelby immediately pulled out some hand sanitizer for her and Rachel. Thank goodness she'd bought a brand new bottle because she had a feeling she and Rachel were going to be wearing a lot of it.

After the tents were set up, Hiram and Leroy, along with Christopher, walked with the kids down to the lake. They were going to go fishing while Charlotte and Shelby stayed behind to make dinner. The ladies assured them that they could miss out on the fishing and liked the fact that it would give them some time to visit.

The other two kids were more practiced in the art of fishing so they didn't need as much help as Rachel when it came to baiting her hook and casting her line. It didn't help that Rachel wouldn't actually touch the bait. They settled in at the end of a long pier and lazily cast their lines while other campers swam at different spots along the shore. There were also a few boats out towards the middle.

Rachel sat comfortably in her Uncle Christopher's lap and watched the end of her line intently. Surely something was going to happen soon.

"What happens if we catch something?" Rachel asked.

"We eat it," Daniel said.

"Really?" Rachel asked. "But I thought we brought food."

"We did," Hiram told her, "but if we catch enough fish, we might be able to have some of that as well."

Rachel scrunched up her nose and looked back at her line in the water. She wanted to ask when they were going to get to the fun part of camping, but she looked around and noticed that everyone else seemed to be enjoying it so she stayed quiet. Instead, Rachel leaned back and settled her head against her uncle's chest and enjoyed the later afternoon sun.

Daniel was the first to get a bite and he reeled in what Rachel was convinced was this lake's version of the Loch Ness Monster. It was huge and gross looking and Rachel jumped up so she could get away from it. Christopher secured her pole and got up to help his son.

"Look at that!" Leroy exclaimed. "It's huge!"

"That is by far the biggest fish we've ever caught out here," Christopher said. "Well done!"

"It looks big enough to eat your whole arm," Leroy said.

Rachel backed even further away and then looked down at the water in dismay. There could be anything in there.

Daniel was basking in the praise and the glory of his prize as he secured the fish to their line to keep it in the water until it was time to go back. He then put more bait on his hook and cast out again.

"Rachel, I think there's something on yours too," Hiram said and all attention turned to her pole.

"Come reel it in, sweetheart," Leroy said when Rachel made no move to go and help her uncle with her pole. What if there was another gigantic fish on the other end?

Rachel took slow steps towards her uncle and took the pole in trembling hands. Christopher stood behind her and helped her reel it in. Rachel's fish was much smaller and much more like something she'd be used to seeing in an in-home aquarium than the monstrosity that Daniel had hauled in.

"Come look at it," Leroy said when the fish was lowered to the dock.

The fish flopped a few times before Leroy could pick it up, but that was too much for Rachel.

"Daddy, he can't breathe!" Rachel cried and hurried to Leroy's side. "He's hurting. He's stuck on the hook."

"It's ok, Rach," Leroy said. "I can get the hook on and then we'll put him with Daniel's fish."

"No!" Rachel yelled. "You can't put him with that monster. He's too little. You're hurting him. Please don't hurt him."

"Rach, it's ok," Christopher said.

"Please put him back," Rachel said as tears started to make their way down her cheeks. "Please. He can't breathe."

"Ok, sweetheart," Hiram said. "We won't keep him. Daddy's going to put him back."

It really wasn't much a fish anyway and they wouldn't get much from it and the men knew that they didn't want to deal with Rachel all weekend if this fish didn't make it. So Leroy quickly got the hook out and dropped the tiny fish back into the water. Rachel was looking at him and sighed in relief when the fish swished his tail and hurried off.

"There," Leroy said. "It's ok now."

"I don't wanna fish anymore!" Rachel cried.

The Berry men sighed and Hiram gently took her hand so he could walk with her back to the camp. She cried the whole time and announced her arrival as they got closer.

"I know that sound," Shelby said as she and Charlotte got up to investigate.

"Rachel," Shelby said as she hurried towards her crying daughter who ran into her arms. "What happened?"

Shelby gave Hiram a questioning glance and he raised his hands in innocence.

"I'm sure she'll tell you all about it," Hiram said. "I'm going back."

Shelby carried Rachel back to the camp and sat down with her. Charlotte looked on with a concerned expression.

"The fish couldn't breathe and Daddy wasn't getting the hook out fast enough and he flopped around and they wanted to keep him so they could eat him but he was so little and what if his fish family found out he was missing and couldn't find him and I know they'd be sad but they were going to keep him so they could eat him but I wouldn't let them and they threw him back in the water and he swam away!" Rachel said all in one breath before going back to crying. "And then they wanted me to catch more!"

Shelby hugged Rachel tightly as she girl buried her face in her chest and clung to her mother. Charlotte did nothing to conceal her grin and Shelby shared her smile. She probably should have guessed something like this would happen.

"It's ok," Shelby said as she rubbed Rachel's back and rocked her. "Your fish is ok and he's not hurt. And I'm sure his mommy is telling him right now to stay away from anymore hooks."

"I hope he listens," Rachel said through her sniffles.

"Me too," Shelby cooed.

It took a few minutes of being held before Rachel was completely asleep. Shelby laid her in their tent and near the entrance so she could keep an eye on her. A small nap would probably do her a world of good.

The short nap had done the trick and Rachel was hyper and ready to play that evening. Dinner had been an easy outing of hotdogs and fresh fish. They had wisely cleaned Daniel's prize catch as well as a couple others away from the campsite and started cooking it while Rachel was still sleeping. She didn't have any though and left that to everyone else. She took solace in the fact that she had saved at least her fish. And, truth be told, she was relieved the monster fish was out of there. That was until Daniel informed her that there were probably thousands of other fish that big in the lake.

They all enjoyed the campfire as the evening wore on and it got later. Even Shelby and Rachel had to admit that there was something really cool about sitting around a campfire at night. The s'mores were helping a lot too because Rachel loved them.

"I'm gonna make another," Rachel said as she plucked a marshmallow from the bag and shoved it onto the end of her stick. This was her favorite part. Well, the chocolate was her favorite part, but holding the marshmallow over the fire came in a close second.

"Rachel, watch," Daniel said with a sly grin.

"Ohhh," Rachel said in awe as she watched Daniel's marshmallow catch on fire. She immediately stuck hers directly into the flames.

"Then just shake it like this and the fire will go out," Daniel said. He whipped the stick back and forth a couple times and sure enough the fire went out.

"Daniel…" Charlotte warned. "You are supposed to blow on it."

Daniel smiled cheekily and set his marshmallow on his chocolate and squeezed it off between the crackers. Rachel had been too enamored with watching her marshmallow catch fire that she hadn't heard what her aunt said.

Rachel pulled the stick from the fire and followed her cousin's lead and began to whip it back and forth. Hers were much longer and not as controlled and she was shocked when she looked down one time and realized her marshmallow was no longer there.

"Look out!" Shelby yelled.

Hiram stopped short just in time to see the flaming projectile go whizzing past his head. Rachel quickly spun around to watch what was going on and she caught sight of her marshmallow just as it landed on hers and her mother's tent. Was it her imagination or was the flame getting bigger?

Hiram and Shelby stood still for a few seconds in shock and stared at each other. Charlotte was the first to react and she picked up a dishtowel she had used to dry their dishes and ran to the tent and smothered the small fire that had started. She knocked the marshmallow to the ground and stomped on it. When all was said and done there was only a tiny hole in the outer layer of the tent and it wasn't really hurt.

Charlotte turned and glared at her son while Hiram and Shelby turned and looked into the astonished, yet guilty, face of their little girl. Daniel sunk down in his spot and turned his attention back to the fire.

"Rachel Barbra Berry!" Shelby scolded. "You know better than that.

"But I had to put the fire out," Rachel said. "That's how Daniel did it."

Daniel sunk even lower when all of the focus turned to him.

"And he certainly knows better," Charlotte said with her hands on her hips. The ruined dishtowel lay forgotten on the ground.

A low chuckle broke the tension and soon Leroy's deep laugh filled the woods. Rachel turned and stared at him for a second before making her way over to him to sit in his lap. She had determined him to be the safest parent at the moment.

"You should have seen your face when that thing sailed past your head," Leroy laughed even harder. He let Rachel get comfortable on his lap and then did an impersonation of Hiram's wide eyes and Shelby's shock.

Victoria began to laugh and so did Christopher. Shelby shook her head and smiled and soon joined the laughter. The tension was lifted and Charlotte went and sat by Daniel and whispered in his ear while everyone talked about the tiny fire. She was no doubt reminding him about impressionable little girls and the havoc they can cause.

A couple hours later everyone was showered and in their respective tents for the night. They were all worn out and everyone expected that they would sleep well. Shelby was so thankful for the pad she'd purchased to put on the floor for her and Rachel because she was pretty certain that sleeping on the ground in a tent in the middle of the woods counted as being in one of the layers of hell. Even with the padding she was having trouble getting comfortable. Just a couple more days. So far it hadn't been so bad and she was happy to be with everyone. The forest wasn't her first or 500th pick of where to be, but she was toughing it out. It was important to Hiram and Leroy that Rachel have a good time and Shelby wasn't going to ruin that by showing her own distaste for the camping experience.

Shelby opened her eyes and looked over at Rachel and was glad to see that the girl was resting. Mr. Mitchell was tucked safely at Rachel's side and she had a tight grip on her bunny's ear. Too tight, in fact. Even though she looked it, Shelby could now tell that Rachel wasn't really asleep. She wasn't going to say anything though in the hopes that Rachel would drift off.

Shelby shut her tired eyes and took a deep breath. Sleep would be great.

"Mommy," Rachel whispered. "What was that noise?"

Shelby opened her eyes once more and listened for a second.

"What noise?"

"That noise," Rachel said after a moment.

Shelby hadn't heard anything and she looked over at Rachel who looked terrified.

"It's nothing, baby," Shelby said. "I don't hear anything. Close your eyes and try and get some sleep."

"What if it's an animal?" Rachel asked. "Don't they know we're here?"

"Nothing is going to get us," Shelby assured her daughter. And herself. Seriously, were there no cabins or something on this campground?

"There it is again," Rachel said with more urgency.

Shelby heard it this time. The noises of the forest were far different than what they heard in suburbia and mother and daughter were not taking to it.

"It's ok, sweetie," Shelby whispered. "There's nothing there."

"Mama, can't we sleep in the car?" Rachel asked. She was starting to get upset. "The animals can't get in the car."

"We're ok," Shelby said. "Come here."

Rachel did not hesitate in scooting closer to her mother and letting the woman wrap her arms around her.

"I don't like it out here at night," Rachel said with a watery voice. She was exhausted and this was beginning to be too much for her.

"I know, honey. But we're ok and nothing's going to get us," Shelby said as she rubbed Rachel's back.

"Mama, will you sing?" Rachel asked.

"Sure," Shelby said.

She thought for a second and then started to quietly sing a lullaby that had put Rachel to sleep countless times before. Shelby held the girl close and gently patted her bottom in time with the song. It did the trick and Rachel drifted off to sleep in the safety of her mother's arms. Shelby, however, found that her senses were more heightened and she could hear every noise for miles. Sleep would not come easily for Shelby that night.

Shelby had hoped that Rachel would sleep well all night, but the girl ended up tossing and turning quite a lot on her own. It was a rough night for both of them and Shelby was glad for the daylight if for no other excuse than to get out of the tent.

By midday almost everyone was ready to go swimming. Shelby and Rachel were walking back from the bathrooms where they had changed into their suits and both were a little hesitant. Rachel was glad for the shorts and t-shirt she wore over her suit because maybe she could pretend and just keep them on and not have to go in the lake.

"Are you coming too?" Rachel asked Shelby.

"Yeah, I'm going too," Shelby said.

"What if it's too cold?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know," Shelby answered honestly.

They were the last two to arrive at the lake and everyone else was already in the water. Shelby took a seat in one of the chairs Leroy had carried over and Rachel immediately climbed in her lap. Yep, they could just sit here and that would be fine.

"What're you guys doing?" Leroy yelled out. "The water's great!"

"Ok," Shelby called back though neither she nor Rachel made any move to get up.

"Aww come on, you two, don't just sit there," Hiram said. "This is fun."

"Come and swim with me, Aunt Shelby!" Victoria called out.

Shelby sighed and shut her eyes for a second in resignation. She was actually going to have to get in that water with God knows what in there. She stood Rachel up and then got up herself. She took her shorts and shirt off and motioned for Rachel to do the same.

"Mama," Rachel whined and held Shelby's hand tightly as they made the slow walk to the water's edge.

Shelby was braver than her daughter and actually put her feet in the water when they got to it. Rachel had dropped Shelby's hand and stayed back away from the water. She didn't care what they said, she wasn't going in there. She had seen the monster that came from that lake and she knew there were others like it. She'd heard her daddy; that thing could probably eat an arm. Rachel was not about to become giant fish food. And that was only one thing she had seen. What if there was other equally as awful things living in there? Nope, she was staying right here on the solid ground.

Shelby turned back when she realized Rachel wasn't at her side and motioned her to come forward, but Rachel just shook her head.

"Rachel, come on now, it's fine," Hiram said. "Come out here and play."

Rachel shook her head again and backed up.

"Rachel," Leroy sighed.

Shelby went back and picked Rachel up and the girl wrapped her arms around her mother's neck.

"Will you come out there if I hold you?" Shelby asked.

"I don't want to," Rachel whispered.

Shelby felt for her daughter and wanted to tell her that it was ok and they could go back. But one look at Hiram and Leroy told her the fathers were not keen on Rachel making a scene or refusing to participate. They wanted her to be involved. Shelby did too and so she stepped out into the water so that it was just above her ankles. She knew Rachel and she figured that once she got out in the water with everyone else, she would be fine. Shelby hoped she could say the same about herself.

Shelby took another few steps and Rachel started to squirm. By the time the water reached Shelby's thigh, Rachel was whining and on the verge of tears. She was lifting her feet up so that they wouldn't touch the water.

"Mommy, I don't want to," Rachel cried when Shelby was waist deep.

Rachel was climbing Shelby like she was a tree to make sure no part of her reached the water. Her tears intensified and she didn't care that everyone had stopped and was now watching her.

"Mama, please, I don't want to," Rachel cried again. "I don't like it. I don't want to."

"Alright, baby girl," Shelby said and turned back. "I'm not going to force her," she added over her shoulder for the rest of the family.

Shelby wrapped a towel around her waist and Rachel hurriedly put her shorts and shirt back on like they somehow provided protection from the lake. She crawled into Shelby's lap when her mother sat down and kept her face turned away from her family out on the water. Shelby could tell Hiram and Leroy were disappointed and maybe even a nit perturbed, but she didn't care. There was no reason to traumatize the kid over something as silly as swimming in a lake.

"Mommy, I don't like it out here," Rachel said through her waning. "Can we go home now?"

"Not until tomorrow," Shelby told her sadly.

"But why?" Rachel asked.

"Because we're ok and we've been planning this for a long time and we want to spend time with everyone," Shelby said. "You liked making s'mores. We can do that again tonight."

"Ok," Rachel said wearily. "But you and Daddy and Dad said this was going to be fun. When will it be fun?"

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry you're not having a good time," Shelby said.

"I hate it out here," Rachel said forlornly.

"I know," Shelby cooed and kissed Rachel's head. Hopefully the rest of this day would pass quickly so they could get to tomorrow and go home.

Later that day when the sun was low in the sky and the campfire was roaring Rachel felt the need of a restroom. She'd been pretty quiet since everyone came back from swimming and she knew they all thought she was a silly baby because she wouldn't go in the lake. The bugs had been bad that evening and she felt like she was getting eaten alive. The noises seemed to be getting weirder and all she wanted to do was hide away and go to sleep so she could wake up and have it be time to go home.

Rachel looked up at her parents and all three were busy helping with dinner. Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Christopher were talking quietly and she didn't want to disturb any of them. It was a pretty far walk and if they had to go all the way down to the main buildings to use the restroom, everyone was going to have to wait on her for dinner.

Rachel took a deep breath and decided that she'd done it once so she could do it again. It would only have to be one more time. And she would prove that she wasn't a baby by not having to ask for help.

"Victoria," Rachel said as she approached her cousin, "can I have some of your toilet paper. I've gotta go potty."

"It's right over there," Victoria pointed to the stash. "Do you remember how to get there?"

"Yeah," Rachel fibbed. She knew it was down the path a little ways so it couldn't be too hard. "I'll be right back."

"Ok," Victoria said. She didn't think much of it. That's what she and Daniel had been doing.

Rachel clutched the toilet paper and started off down the path at a cautious pace. Thank goodness it wasn't completely dark yet. She really didn't remember what she was looking for and the small clearing didn't seem to be anywhere in sight. But the necessity was becoming too much and so Rachel stepped a few feet from the path into the woods and reached for her pants.

Shelby looked up and smiled over at Victoria but then frowned when she didn't see Rachel on her quick scan of the area.

"Where did Rachel go?" Shelby asked and Hiram and Leroy both stopped what they were doing and looked up.

"She was just here," Leroy said.

"Victoria, do you know where Rachel went?" Shelby asked.

That got Christopher and Charlotte's attention and they too stood up and looked around.

"She said she had to go to the bathroom," Victoria said.

"Did she try walking down there by herself?" Hiram asked.

"Nope, she took the toilet paper and went down the trail," Victoria said. "It's just a little ways down there."

"I'll go and get her," Shelby said as she shook her head and started down the path. It seemed they needed to have a conversation about going off alone in the woods. And she hoped Rachel didn't make a mess. She'd had to help keep her pants out of the way the last time she went in the woods.

Rachel had quickly determined that she had no idea how to keep her pants out of the way while squatting to use the bathroom. She decided the easiest solution was to take one leg out of her pants and underwear completely and keep them off to the side. She had just finished and tossed the used toilet paper to the ground when she heard a noise. She froze in her squatted position and looked out in front of her. It happened so suddenly that Rachel wasn't even sure what came at her, but all she knew was she was under attack. She screamed and tried to back away but stepped on her free pants leg and tripped. She landed on her bare bottom on a leafy green plant and started to cry in earnest. The tiny squirrel that passed had no idea of the mayhem he just caused.

Shelby swore she could feel her heart stop when she heard Rachel scream. She wasn't the only one. Everyone at the campsite had looked up and then hurried towards the path.

"Rachel!" Shelby yelled as she ran down the path.

"Mommy!" Rachel cried.

Shelby rounded a curve and saw her daughter running towards her with her pants and underwear attached to only one leg and at her ankles. But the girl's nakedness was not keeping her from running as fast as she could from her makeshift restroom.

Shelby didn't hesitate in scooping her daughter up and placing both arms under her bare bottom to support her. Rachel clung to her and squeezed her tightly around the neck.

"What happened?" Shelby asked her crying child.

"There was a bear or a snake or a lion and it tried to get me," Rachel wailed. "I tried to get away faster but I tripped and fell over."

"It's ok," Shelby said. "I've got you now. It's ok. Nothing's going to get you."

"Mommy, I want to go home," Rachel cried pathetically. "Please, let's go home."

The fathers heard her cries as they rounded the bend with the others behind them.

"What happened?" Leroy asked as he took in Rachel's appearance.

"Apparently there was something that startled her and she fell," Shelby said.

"It's ok now, sweetheart," Leroy said and he leaned down and kissed Rachel's head.

"I don't like being out here," Rachel cried into Shelby's shoulder.

"Let's get back to camp," Hiram said.

When they got back, Shelby took Rachel into their tent and did a quick once over of her backside and legs to make sure she hadn't cut herself and then got her dressed properly.

"Rachel, why did you go off by yourself?" Shelby asked while they were still in the tent.

"I had to go and everyone was busy," Rachel told her.

"Not too busy to help you though," Shelby said.

"And everyone thinks I'm a baby because I wouldn't go swimming and now I can't even go potty by myself," Rachel said sadly.

"No one thinks you're a baby," Shelby said. "They just understand that being out here isn't what you like to do and that's ok."

"I don't like being out here at all," Rachel said.

"I know. And we're headed home first thing after breakfast tomorrow so it'll be over before you know it," Shelby said.

The evening passed uneventfully and everyone stayed close to the camp. Exhaustion got the best of both Rachel and Shelby and they slept most of the night. Shelby awoke in the morning to a squirming Rachel and opened her eyes to look at her daughter and find out what she was doing.

"I'm itchy," Rachel said. She reached back and scratched her bottom.

"Did you get a bug bite there?" Shelby asked.

"I don't know," Rachel said. "It's not just there. I'm itchy all over."

"Let me see," Shelby said. Rachel crawled over to her as she sat up and Shelby pulled the girl's pants down and immediately noticed a red rash on Rachel's backside and legs. "What the… Don't move."

Shelby unzipped the tent flap and looked for Hiram or Leroy but the only other person up was Charlotte.

"Charlotte, can you come here, please?" Shelby asked and then disappeared back into the tent. When Charlotte crawled inside, Shelby said, "What do you think that is?" She pointed to Rachel's upturned backside.

Charlotte took a closer look but was careful not to touch because she knew right away what it was.

"It seems as if Miss Rachel picked a patch of poison ivy to do her business in last night," Charlotte said with a barely contained smile at Shelby's shocked look.

"But isn't it contagious?" Shelby asked while absently scratching her arm.

"Very much so," Charlotte answered.

Shelby suddenly realized what she was doing and looked down at her arms and saw the same red rashes. And now that she was aware of it, she swore she felt the need to scratch everywhere. She shut her eyes in frustration and then opened them to find a grinning Charlotte looking at her.

"Mommy, what's poison ivy?" Rachel asked and she pulled her pants back up.

"A plant that gives you an itchy rash," Shelby answered.

"Will I have it forever?" Rachel asked and her chin started to tremble.

"No, baby, just a few days or a week," Charlotte answered. "Just make sure you don't touch anyone else, ok?"

"Ok," Rachel nodded solemnly.

The cars were packed and the campsite cleaned up and everyone said their goodbyes, though from a distance for Shelby and Rachel. The hour and a half home seemed like a lot longer for Shelby and especially Rachel, who shifted in her seat every couple of minutes.

When they arrived back at the Berry's house, Shelby and Rachel immediately took long, thorough showers to get themselves clean. While they did, Hiram went to a pharmacy and picked up the cream Rachel's pediatrician recommended when he called her. Pink calamine lotion would do the trick for both mother and daughter.

Shelby stayed around most of the day and she and Rachel enjoyed the comforts of being back home. After dinner, Rachel had another bath and Shelby was going to stay until she was in bed before going home. Leroy took Rachel to her room after her bath and Shelby walked in a couple minutes later to find her daughter turned over her father's knee while he applied the lotion. Rachel didn't seem to mind her position and was happy to be getting the cool lotion applied since she hated the itch. Shelby went to her drawers and got out a nightshirt and a pair of panties to get her dressed in when Leroy was done.

Hiram entered the room as well to drop off clean laundry and was putting it away while Leroy finished up. Soon enough Rachel was dressed and in bed and fading off to sleep when her parents slipped out of her room.

"We got you a bottle to take home too," Hiram said when they were back downstairs. "It should start to clear up in a week."

"Do you need help applying it too?" Leroy asked with a coy smirk and a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Hiram laughed and Shelby just glared at them as she took her bottle of calamine lotion and grabbed her car keys and headed for the front door. She turned and looked back at the men she adored so much and wanted to wipe the grins off their faces.

"I think I can safely speak for Rachel and myself when I say, never again!" And with that, she was gone.

Hiram and Leroy at least waited until the door was shut behind her before bursting into full, deep laughter. As far as camping trips go, this one would always hold a place as one of the most memorable the men ever had.

**Author's note – That's it for this one shot. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please leave me a review and let me know how it was. I appreciate all of your feedback so much. Thanks, guys! **

**I am working on the next chapter of She's Always Been Right There so hopefully that will be out soon. **


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